Does anyone have experience with changing legal name after obtaining Canadian citizenship in Ontario? If I cannot find someone who knows me more than five years, can I hire a lawyer as my guarantor? Please share your experience. Thanks.
Change name in ON
- Thread starter naturalca
- Start date
I legally changed my name in On before summit my application, it is an easy process you just have to complete the application, for me my bank adviser sign the form that I have been leaving here for more than 1 year, It took more than 8 weeks because they return my birth certification translation (it was original but they need more) so I make and English speaker certified in front of the Commissioner of affidavit that it was a real translation. You also have to sign the forms in front of the Commissioner of your city/town. I still waiting for my application to be in process and maybe if you do it before yo have your citizenship certificate your application will be a non-routine and take more time, I am not sure hopefully it will be not very long waiting.
Are you not married? Have you been married for at least 5 years? Does your spouse hold a Canadian passport?
No. I just want to change my legal name to an English/French name. Nothing related to marital status.
I was referring to the guarantor part of your question. A spouse, provided you have been married for 5 years and he/she has a passport they can do that part for you.
As far as a name change, I would suggest you get that done prior to obtaining your passport. I believe they will give you a new certificate (if you apply for it) when you've got full legal documentation of a name change.
Whatever responses you get, I hope you update this thread with your experience after changing your name, @naturalca. Lots of threads on this forum where questions are asked but not after solutions were found...
So, I did some research and apparently in my situation, if I want to change my last name, I need to do a name change on the provincial level first, then send my citizenship certificate with the name change documents to IRCC. They will issue me a new citizenship certificate with new name on it. And with that citizenship certificate I will apply for the Canadian passport. The processing time for Citizenship Certificate is 5 months :/ So, if I want to go ahead with this, I will be ~ 6 months without Canadian Passport and with my Citizenship Certificate at IRCC :/
I think, if I apply for a passport first, and then change the name, then I can't use that passport anymore, because I am not that person with the name in the passport.
Thanks. I never married and it's hard to find someone who knows me more than five years. Yes, I plan to get a new certificate before applying for passport.
You have a couple options for guarantor. You can do a doctor/dentist/pharmacist anyone of that nature that knows you for 5 years or more, or you can use the Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor.